Pokemon Field Guide Official Page: Do Not Post

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This is the personal project of JJX and myself. It will document Pokemon species in a manner similar to a field guide, with more realistic and reimagined information that has been organized neatly into each entry. Currently, updates are scheduled weekly for Fridays. Check back often for new posts and enjoy.

Finished Entries:

Bulbasaur - Ivysaur - Venusaur - Mega Venusaur
Dwebble - Crustle
Piplup - Prinplup - Empoleon

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Height: 6'2"-7'10" depending on the individual and flower size (regular Venusaur stage)
Weight: 100-127lbs for their plant and about 2.5 tons for the animal itself
Scientific Name: Seminalemorpho

Bulbasaur is the name given to the infant stage of the Venusaur Line. The Latin distinguisher for Venusaur is Seminalemorpho or Morphing Seeded One. Like all Pokémon, after a certain age if the right conditions are met, the Pokémon will undergo a spontaneous metamorphosis. The transformation is a rapid replacement of cells in the entirety of its body causing rapid growth and changes to the physical body. Unlike most Pokémon, Venusaur eggs actually lack the nutrients necessary for a fetus to grow successfully as they contain no yolk sacks for the fetuses to ingest. Using their specialized tusks (what many people mistake as teeth), a female Venusaur will locate a patch of a specific bulb plant known as Rafflesia Tulipa, closely related to both the modern day tulip and the Vileplume line. The eggs are laid and then reburied underground near the roots of the plant which eventually locate and breach the shell. Rafflesia Tulipa reproduce by injecting their seeds into the ground but are nutrient intensive meaning that they deplete the surrounding soil of its nutrients giving the plant a relatively short life.

However, once the shell of the Venusaur egg is breached, the seedling enters carrying with it, the essential nutrients for the fetal development of the young creature and thus an endosymbiotic relationship is born. Throughout development, the main surface bulb will pump in what nutrients it has left into the egg which will eventually carry its seedling. This results in the main bulb dying. The sex of the animal is determined by temperature. If the temperature is 30ºC/86ºF they will all be female; 34ºC/93.2ºF they will be male. Given that the eggs are buried during summer near the surface of the ground, most come to be male. Once fully developed, the Bulbasaur hatches using a rudimentary egg tooth and burrows to the surface. The Bulbasaur is now a lush green hue as the hybrid Animal-Plant creature (need scientific name) is now capable of kleptoplasty, the name given to an animal that can produce its own food via photosynthesis. With the development of the animal complete, both organisms converge to essentially create one organism. In exchange for a longer range for it to lay seeds and for a lifetime of nutrients, the bulb gives the Bulbasaur infant camouflage, protection (via toxic spores and exploding seeds) and a means of creating food without necessarily eating. At this stage, the bulb is now fused into the spine of the creature and thusly, the nervous system. Just below the head on either side of its chest, the Bulbasaur has two specialized muscular organs which can fire "vines" derived from its bulb with great dexterity and speed.

When threatened, Bulbasaur find a grassy patch and instinctively burry themselves leaving only the plant exposed which then releases a nauseating odor to ward off predators. On most days, the bulb releases a sweet/sour smell to attract insects who fall into the small undeveloped pitcher plant. As the Bulbasaur grows, it enters its first state of spontaneous metamorphosis becoming the juvenile Ivysaur. Now stronger, Ivysaur are now more prone to fighting and thusly are dangerous to trainers for their aggressive behavior. Their rudimentary tusks have grown more useful and are used for digging into the earth for nutrient rich roots. Ivysaur's claws have also grown, crucial for digging. Its previously small and stout legs have grown longer and sturdier through it can frequently be thrown off balance due to the bulb's increased size. The bulb itself is now in its budding stage and has metamorphosed with the Ivysaur. Alone, the bulb will never surpass its bulb stage and reach the grand flower status that sits upon the backs of Venusaur. Its petals are a vibrant pink. As the Ivysaur grows, the chemical composition of the plant changes as well giving it a sweet aroma. Like a ripened fruit, it is a determining factor that metamorphosis is near. Once matured, the second stage of metamorphosis is initiated creating the fully fledged Venusaur.

The organism has changed greatly during its second-to-third stage transformation. The tusks are now thicker and more stout. Its wrinkled, warty flesh is a survival mechanic to hold in water and keep the Venusaur from burning too easily in the sun giving it its Thick Fat ability. Its stout legs have almost moved sideways to support both its body and the massive reimagined plant on its back. The Rafflesia Tulipa has become a beautiful pink/red pitcher plant with leafy growths emanating from under it. Though the Venusaur controls the plant mostly, it can still defend itself if prodded and will occasionally shoot a seed that plants itself into the ground. The sides of the inner pitcher plant are coated with a waxy substance preventing any insect Pokémon from escaping once inside and turning it into a gruesome insect soup (highly nutritious). Like most Pokémon, the Venusaur line is capable of breeding at any stage, increasing its chance for survival given the fact that females are statistically rare.

Venusaur travel in herds led by an Alpha Female and her group of male mates. New groups usually form around the mating season in Winter when groups of males will follow the sweet aroma of the Female's plant. After the season is over, the groups will remain together with the males that the female has chosen. This is the only time that males will spar unless kicked out of their previous groups. When mating, males compete with Headbutts, Vinewhips and bellowing.
In almost all cases, the females are larger and more physically strong. Herds usually range from 6-12 individuals and their young but some researchers have observed groups as large as 30. In herds, evolution is commonly a ritual pack event. Like migrating elk, during a particular season in a particular place (the season and location differ between every unique region, except for Kanto and Johto, which share a location) where they evolve into Ivysaur and then they generally scatter into their old herds again, though sometimes Venusaur offspring may get lost and join other packs instead (which are generally incredibly welcoming of the new members).

Mega Evolution in the Venusaur species, like all Pokemon species capable of Mega Evolution, is still an incredibly mysterious and peculiar process. Radiation from the Mega Stone, Venusaurite, is amplified by a keystone (generally attached to a simple ring, bracelet, or necklace accessory) and effects a change in forms similar to regular Evolution Stone Evolution except that this metamorphosis is not permanent because the radiation wears off and requires time to ready itself for another use. The Mega Stone acts like a natural battery and requires constant charging though the science behind this metamorphosis "charging" is still hazy and unclear though many speculate it has something to do with the positive relationships between trainers and their Pokemon.

They live up to 80 years in captivity and about 55 years in the wild. The Rafflesia Tulipa that is growing on Venusaur's back doesn't immediately die when the body dies. The vines from the plant sense that they have lost their symbiotic energy source and seek the earth to keep living. Often, the Venusaur begins feeling ill and secludes himself to go die alone (though captive species have been known to die with their trainer by their side because they possess a different bond with them than that with fellow members of their herd). Afterward, the herd will seek out the dead body and bury it with their large digging tusks with as much dug up earth as possible, burying only the body portion and not the plant top. Trainers generally require much more assistance in burying the behemoth Pokemon. The Rafflesia Tulipa plant from their backs continue to sprout and now reach a point in their life cycles when they will begin to seed further and grow fields of Rafflesia Tulipa, which later will become the egg burying grounds for a future generation of the herd's Bulbasaur eggs, which will provide new seedling plants to help the unborn babies live in the future but consequently kill of the main bulb, as always. This is the Venusaur's own unique circle of life process, where the Pokemon individual still continues to "live on" after death to help another generation by sacrificing its own "life".

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Height: Almost 5' tall at maximum
Weight: Maximum ~85 lb creature, Maximum ~240 lb shell
Scientific Name: Inhabitanis Petra

Despite its location and appearance, this creature actually evolved from spider-like Pokemon such as the Ariados and Galvantula lines. It therefore is not a true crustacean but living in the desert, it has developed many crustacean-like advantages. Its hard shell is resistant to wear-and-tear from sandstorms and serves as a carapace to keep what little moisture it manages to find inside its body for energy. It lives in deserts, which were once large oceans but eventually adapted to live without much water, and it's hooked tail (likely once used in hunting small prey) became a useful tool for defense, that later adapted to utilize rocks as protection shells, trying to level the playing field slightly in light of its natural weakness to rock types.

Crustle secretes two kinds of enzymes from its mouth: an abrasive acid and a sticky, glue-like substance. The abrasive acid is a type of naturally-occurring sulfuric acid that is produced in a small organ next to the small intestine. The Crustle line use this slightly putrid enzyme to break down the bases of rocks and help the hollowing-out process, by which they work at the rock with the acidic compound and then dig with their hooked tail until it is roomy enough to be used as a shell and easy enough to clamp onto. The acidic enzyme also makes a perfect defensive mechanism, and it can be sprayed from up to four feet away. But in cases where the rock being hollowed out chips incorrectly, Crustle will simple spit a glob of sticky saliva to mend the rock, sometimes even compacting sand into the crevices.

During the harshness of the day, the juvenile Dwebble form will often bury the bottom halves of their bodies, occasionally leaving their eyes popping up above the sand to scan for potential predators, as it goes into a trance-like state during rest. Once the air around it starts to cool, however, the desert take up a much chillier climate and the insect has to move lest it freeze to death. During this time, it almost sporadically scuttles around the desert in search of food. Its diet can consist of smaller insects, but it definitely prefers cactus and herbs.

The rocky shell it lives in is indeed a claimed rock. Customarily, the bigger the shell, the more powerful the Crustle will be, and the more likely it is to mate. In some isolated parts of the desert, researchers have observed a subspecies of Crustle collecting foliage and sticking the material to their shells. They are highly territorial, so males don't play nice. Females do sometimes form small clusters/colonies since they are more vulnerable to predators. They can be seen clustered together to provide more of a defense. Other than mating season, males do not congregate

The rock weight varies but the creature itself would weight a good 85 lbs. Most of that weight would exist in its muscular back and legs for supporting the boulder. Since Crustle have slow metabolisms, they age rather slowly, with 20 years old being the estimated maximum age of the Pokemon species. It can hold up to 3 times its own weight of a rock so a 240ish lb boulder is a massive one. Larger Crustle have to stay near sandy areas when sleeping so that they can burry themselves and displace the weight of the boulder using the sand to keep from being crushed in their sleep.

Its front pincers are incredibly sharp sporting a razored edge in case the Pokemon needs to defend itself. When hunting, a Crustle will shoot its sticky saliva at its prey imobilizing it before pouring digestive juices on it and consuming the remains. They are skittish towards anything larger than themselves and highly territorial. It isn't uncommon for them to nip and pinch at the feet of anything going through their sand dune. For mating season they congregate at desert oasises and display their decorated rocks to the females. Females do not sport a large shell since their biological mechanisms do not call for it. The males will joust with other males, sometimes taking others' shells, attaching them to their own and sending the rival running. They are almost never deadly. Throughout its life, a Dwebble stores energy over a long period of time to prepare for its evolution to Crustle, a form in which it will both gain size, which will be more appealing to mates, especially in males, for endurance and strength during jousting, and also attractiveness in its bright color and ability to carry an even larger rock upon its back.

Once mating has commenced, the female will scuttle off quickly to prevent the male from trailing her. Two to three weeks later she lays a clutch of up to 35 eggs deep in the dunes of the desert in an encased rock. When the babies hatch, they burrow their way out of the rock and start their journeys finding their first shell. Though newborn Dwebble and other younger members of the species usually pick smaller rock shells they feel confident in carrying, mature Crustle pick out igneous rock types that are found buried deep under the sands. They have to dive down and retrieve them before bringing them to the surface to create a shell.

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Height: 5'7"
Weight: 186-212 lbs
Scientific Name: Avis Glacies

In the wild, they exist in a hierarchical society with the Empoleon sporting the largest/longest trident crest as the flock leader which can extend to over 300 per colony. Their natural habitat exists in northern Sinnoh but constant poaching has driven the animal into Critical status for extinction. There are only two existing wild colonies known to exist today with the rest of the known fowl to be in possession of trainers.

When swimming in the cold waters where ice flows exist, they are able to shut down non essential organs in their body and stay submerged for nearly 45 minutes on a single dive. The dives range typically from 340-890 ft but some have been recorded to dive deeper slowing their heartbeats to 15-20 bps. The world record being 1872 ft below the surface of the ocean. Their flippers are actually wings that developed after the bird evolved to become flightless. To protect from mechanical barotrauma, their bones are thick and dense rather than hollow and air filled like that of flighted birds.

When young (Piplup) they are adorned with a light blue feathering that darkens as the chick grows older. For the first five weeks, the Piplup chick relies entirely on the colony which is divided into nannies, kindergartens (a group of Piplups are called kindergartens) and such. During the incubation process, Empoleon adults will take turns taking care of the egg, tenderly transfering it from one parent to the other with their feet. This has to be done carefully however. If the egg is exposed for more than 30 seconds, it will become stillborn due to the cold. For this reason, their recovery from the brink of extinction is slow.

When the Piplup are born, they spend the first 2 weeks in the egg pouch (located under each parent's feet) before starting to attend the kindergartens. Once the parents return from feeding, they will partially regurgitate food in order to feed thier chick who cannot properly digest it. While young, they practice their calls. Sometimes if a parent calls for the child, the child will over eagerly run towards the parent causing the parent to run away. After the Piplup calms down however, the Empoleon parent will return.

Piplup and Empoleon are able to recognize each other instantly through their cries as each of them have their own style. It is said that this is the beginning of a rudimentary language utilizing names. Once the chick becomes big enough, it goes through an extreme metamorphosis and by the end of the period becomes a juvenile Prinplup. Though still adorned by the light blue feathers, its top coat becomes darker and richer. They also begin growing their adult crest though at this stage it is a bi-crest and looks a bit odd.

This is when males start to become aggressive towards one another. In order to weed out who does what in each colony, the strongest will breed while the weaker males become the leaders of kindergartens and take care of the young. When mating, two Empoleon will gather and place their heads together and sing. Only when they find the right partner will they mate for life. Mating takes place in the winter and eggs hatch the following summer to keep them as warm as possible.

The birth ratio of males to females are 87.5% male, 12.5% female. This is because females statistically are not hunted and prefer to stay close to shore when swimming. The more confident males however are deep sea divers and quite frequently can be picked off by patrolling Sharpedo or Beartic. Therefore, to keep an almost even population, less males are born than females to keep the ratio as even as possible.

Defensively, the penguins are adorned with a specialized bone that protrudes from the edges of the fins. It is razor sharp and highly durable with a molecular structure similar to polycarbonates. These razors are used to slice through thin ice flows or carve out breathing holes but can also be used as a clever hunting/defensive technique.

With the crest being in the way and having a relatively small beak, going head first into a school of fish is not the smartest idea. Instead, they pick up speed and once they enter the shoal, they will spread their flippers fatally cutting any fish that are too close. Once sliced, the adults will eat the remains. however, this hunting method is seldom used as the blood in the water could attract unknown adversaries. They tend to eat cephalopods like Inkay and the like while diving deep.

Outside of cold areas, Empoleon are known to pant a lot to survive. Another way they cool themselves down is by storing massive amounts of water in nonessential organs near their hearts that is one of the important ways in which Piplup can produce water for attacks such as Hydro Pump. Sometimes after excessive use of Water attacks or after an exhausting battle, Piplup and its evolutions will need to pant heavily to try and cool itself down and may sometimes faint not because of fatigue or injury but due to overheating. Some smaller colonies of Empoleon and its pre-evolved forms have actually been discovered to live in more tropical areas such as southern Sinnoh and Hoenn but though they are more prone to panting, these subspecies overheat less than regular arctic Empoleon due to selective adaptation.

Empoleon also are a species well-known for creating lasting homosexual relationships. Though originally believed to occur only in cases of limited mates of the opposite sex, it has actually been discovered that Empoleon will wait rather than form same sex relationships except in cases that seem to not care regardless of the amount of available opposite sex partners.

Empoleon and its other forms also have a keen sense of independence, which comes naturally to the species. Even when separated from its parents from birth, the Pokemon will develop an autonomous personality and it considers itself self-reliant. Anyone who tries to care for it or show empathetic emotions toward the penguin Pokemon may possible offend the self-sufficient creature. Even trainers who raise baby Piplup from eggs sometimes have a hard time getting along with this Pokemon and creating a trusting bond between any pair can take years and years of practice.